This invention relates generally to the field of centrifugal blowers. Specifically, the invention is directed to a centrifugal blower assembly including an improved blower housing construction. The centrifugal blower assembly further provides a compartmentalized construction having an air intake compartment physically isolated from a drive motor compartment by the blower housing and with the drive motor mounting structure providing lateral support for the blower housing. The centrifugal blower assembly still further provides for removal of the drive motor from the drive motor compartment without removing any portion of the side walls.
Prior centrifugal blower assemblies have generally included structure where the drive motor is mounted to the scroll of the blower housing as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,831 issued on Sept. 5, 1967 to Ranz.
Schwarz, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,482,519 issued Sept. 20, 1949, teaches a blower housing having generally square end walls and a flanged two-piece scroll member which is permanently spot welded to the pair of end panels.
Drechsel, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,711,682 issued June 25, 1955, discloses a power roof ventilator having an air intake physically separated from the drive motor. The ventilator unit has a radial discharge and does not include an expansion type blower housing with scroll as described in the instant invention.
Brandt, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,627,442 issued Dec. 14, 1971, discloses a blower housing using threaded fasteners for connecting a pair of end walls to the scroll side wall.
Lov et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,653,116 issued Apr. 4, 1972, teach the fabrication of a centrifugal fan housing by forming an interlocking seam between the scroll portion and each of the end walls.
The prior art has thus shown centrifugal blower assemblies which provide for the peripheral intake of supply air, separation of the drive motor from the air intake and various blower housing constructions. There has been no known showing, however, of the centrifugal blower assembly of the instant invention where a unique blower housing construction is taught and wherein the blower housing is utilized to effectively divide the overall centrifugal blower assembly into relatively isolated compartments for incoming air and for mounting the drive motor and finally where the drive motor is directly removable from its compartment without disassembly or removal of any portion of the side walls.